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By Joyce Farrell

Mayor Jennifer Monachino Lapey began the Village of Pelham Manor Board of Trustees meeting on December 16 by announcing that there had been a tragic car accident a few weeks ago in Pelham Manor involving a car traveling at a high rate of speed. Trustee Daniel McLaughlin asked for a moment of silence for the couple who perished at Shore Road and thanked first responders and the mutual aid that was involved, especially from the Village of Pelham and Scarsdale. He was especially grateful to New Rochelle, whose investigator and police were critical in helping Pelham Manor. Finally, he asked for prayers for family and friends of the deceased.

Trustee/Fire Commissioner Timothy Case reported that he and a few other board members recently attended the annual fire inspection dinner, celebrating the accomplishments of the department. Special awards were given to career and volunteer firefighters for outstanding performances on the job during the past year. The fire department also unveiled a new departmental patch, designed by Chief Michael Greco’s daughter, Sophia Grecco. It combines aspects of the previous three patches into one design. According to Fire Commissioner Case, “It’s fantastic.”

Mayor Lapey then stated that she and the Board couldn’t be more pleased about the appointment of Gregory Sancho to Police Chief. Sancho lives in LaGrangeville with his wife and children and has been working in law enforcement for nineteen years, almost sixteen of them in Pelham Manor. Sancho joined the Pelham Police Department in 2009 as part of the patrol division. In 2015, he was assigned to the detective division and in 2017 earned the title of Detective Sergeant. In  August of 2021, he was promoted to Police Lieutenant, joining the ranks of Pelham Manor’s executive leadership team. Mayor Lapey stated that in all of his years of service to the Village working in the Pelham Manor Police Department, he has developed an in-depth understanding of the community, and that she couldn’t be more honored to swear him in as he provides the highest level of technical competency and degree of care.

Police Commissioner Breda Bennett added that though he has “big shoes to fill,” she is confident that they will be filled as he and Chief Atkins worked very closely together. She stated that she is proud to be working with all of the officers and knows that the Village is in excellent hands.

Fire Chief Michael Greco reminded all to check their dryers’ lint traps and to have their boilers serviced to prevent small home fires. Two such fires were recently handled by the fire department.

Police Chief Sancho reported that in November there were eleven shoplifting incidents, most of which were at ShopRite, CVS, and Dollar Tree. There was also an incident at the car wash in which a thief forced entry into the administrative offices and stole several hundred dollars’ worth of quarters. Detectives have identified and charged a suspect in this case. There was also a stolen car on Washington Avenue that appears to be unrelated to previous car thefts in the area. The vehicle was recovered in the Bronx, and the Pelham Manor detectives are working with the investigators from the 47th Precinct, who had a similar incident around the same time as the one in Pelham Manor. The suspect vehicle has already been identified, and items from it were submitted to the Westchester County forensic lab for possible DNA analysis.

Village Manager Lindsey Luft read from Village Treasure Kyle Booth’s report and informed the Board that one of the items was a FEMA reimbursement of $174,513.20 for damages sustained on Highbrook Avenue during the September 29, 2023, Federally Declared Disaster. She noted that this reimbursement was received so timely due to the hard work of the administrative team of Deputy Village Clerk Maryalice Barnett, Treasurer Kyle Booth, and herself, all of whom made almost weekly calls to FEMA to get the money back.

In the DPW report, Luft stated that in November the Village completed installing 54,000 linear feet of sanitary sewer lining, which extends the useful life of the pipes in the sanitary sewer system. She also mentioned that she attended a National Stormwater Center training, titled Stormwater Management for Decision Makers. An important topic they reviewed was how to prioritize certain things, which Luft said, “was a nice refresher heading into the budget season.”

The Board then approved the signage for the new Michaels store as the applicant has resolved any issues that AKRF, Inc., the Village’s design consultant and planners, had with previous proposals and is in compliance with AKRF’s suggestions. 

Finally, the Board approved a resolution confirming the Village’s participation in the Westchester County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan update. Hazards that it addresses include not just flooding but also things like extreme heat and fires warnings due to drought.